1. Technical Field
The present technology relates to a tire puncture sealant.
2. Related Art
Automobile manufacturers are more frequently providing puncture repair kits as standard or optional equipment. Such puncture repair kits include a tire puncture sealant as an essential component, but can also include a compressor as an optional component. Actual products are generally compact packages that combine the tire puncture sealant, known as an “emergency tire puncture repairing agent” or the like, and a low capacity compressor that draws power via a cigarette lighter socket.
Tire puncture sealants like those described above are typically introduced into a tire. After the tire is filled with air to a desired air pressure, the tire puncture sealant reaches a puncture hole as a result of the vehicle running a specific distance. Moreover, aggregates of rubber particles or resin particles in the tire puncture sealant form due to compressive forces and shear forces exerted on the tire as it rotates and contacts the ground, thereby sealing the puncture holes. As a result, the vehicle on which the tire is mounted can be driven to an automotive repair shop or gas station where the tire can be replaced.
To date, a variety of such tire puncture sealants (puncture sealants) has been proposed. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H09-118779A describes “a puncture sealant for sealing a punctured tire, comprising a natural rubber latex.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224231A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising a chloroprene emulsion and an antifreezing agent, wherein a hydrogen ion exponent is less than 9.0.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224232A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising a urethane emulsion and an antifreezing agent.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224245A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising a polyolefin emulsion and an antifreezing agent.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224246A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising a synthetic resin emulsion and an antifreezing agent, wherein a hydrogen ion exponent is from 5.5 to 8.5.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224248A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising an acrylic emulsion and an antifreezing agent.” Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-43155A describes “a tire puncture sealant comprising a natural rubber latex, a synthetic resin emulsion, a tackifier, and an antifreezing agent, wherein a solid content compounding ratio (natural rubber latex/synthetic resin emulsion) of the natural rubber latex to the synthetic resin emulsion is from 80/20 to 30/70.”
On the other hand, there are two usage forms of the puncture repair kit. One is “hand-squeezing” where the valve core is removed from the rim valve and then the tire puncture sealant is squeezed into the tire by hand. The other is “pressure injection” where compressed air of a compressor is used to inject the tire puncture sealant without removing the valve core from the rim valve.
Through diligent research into conventional tire puncture sealants, the present inventors discovered that while sealing performance and storage performance was excellent, when using compressed air of a compressor to inject a tire puncture sealant that has been heated to 70° C. as would be expected in the summer season, a large amount of aggregates are deposited on the valve core, leading to a decline in air inflation efficiency.